Apparatus for handling metal strip



June 24,1941. E, v CRANE ET AL 2,246,840

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING METAL STRIP Filed NOV. 22, 1937 I awe M m Patented June 24, 1941 2,246,840 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING METAL s'rmr Edward V. Crane, Brooklyn, N. Y., and Alvin F. Groll, Toledo, Ohio, assignors to E. W. Bliss Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 22, 1937, Serial No. 175,872

5 Claims. (Cl. 153-54) This invention relates to an apparatus for handling relatively heavy rolled or coiled metal stock and has as its primary object the provision of a simple and eflicient means to handle this metal during the time it is being fed into a press for fabrication.

Another object of the invention is to provide anapparatus for handling relatively heavy rolls of relatively stuck metal strip in a manner which will represent a considerable economy in the quantity of floor space required and at the same time increase the ease and safety with which the metal is handled.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which shows a somewhat diagrammatic side view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention associated with a press, certain parts being broken away.

In the drawing, It represents a press of any suitable character which is equipped with synchronously driven feed rolls II which are intermittently operated to successively feed lengths of metal to the press, as well understood in the art. The metal on which the press operates is fed in from the side, between the feed rolls, and must obviously be in the form of a continuous flat strip. The stock, as it comes from the mill, is in a roll or coil of relatively small radius which gives a permanent curve to the strip so that it is usually necessary to straighten it before it is used for fabrication by a press. It has been customary to provide a straightening unit in more or less close association with the feed rolls or.

with the cradle on which the roll of stock is mounted, and to drive the cradle parts by'an independent motor, so that the stock is fed out and straightened as fast as the press can handle it. Since the operation of the cradle motor is substantially continuous, and the operation of the press feedrolls is intermittent, the two ends of the straightened strip of metal are moved under entirely different conditions. -To accommodate this diversity'of motion, it has always been necessary to remove the roll cradle and its associated straightener some distance from the press and permit the straightened metal to span the intervening distance in a slack condition so that the intermittent tends to take up the slack This method of handling disadvantages. One of the'most important resides in the needless waste of floor space attendant to the necessarily wide separation of the in the strip of metal.

pull of the feed rolls merely the strip has certain roll cradle and press. Another disadvantage resides in the safety hazard presented in the unprotected, oscillating strip of metal between the straightening unit and the press. A third is found in the difliculty with which a new roll is started, it being necessary to start the straightened strip into the straightening unit and, into the press by hand, and, since the metal is frequently of a very heavy gauge, as .much as .125 inch or more in thickness, the strip is very stiff and hard to handle.

According to the present invention, a cradle 15, having a plurality of adjacent, rotatable rolls l6 and ll, is provided to receive a coil of stock Hi. The rolls I6 and H are driven from a motor 20 through a variable speed transmission 22, and a chain drive 24, which may be trained over a sprocket carried by a backshaft 26.

A suitable straightening roll unit 21 is preferably mounted in an upwardly extending portion 28 of the cradle frame. Certain of the rolls of the straightener, such as pressure rolls 30 and 32, are journaled in a yoke 34 and are pressed to their operating positions in any suitable manner, as by springs 36. Other rolls of the straightener are driven by a chain drive from a sprocket on shaft 26, so that stock introduced between the initial rolls of the unit will be forced through the straightener by being flexed in its passage between the rolls. A guide throat 37 is disposed adjacent to the point at which the stock is removed from coil I8, so as to facilitate guiding the end of a new coil into the straightening unit.

The straightened stock, designated S, emerges from the upper end of the straightening unit 21 and is then turned back to the press by the periphery of a large, cireularguide housing 38, which has a radius sufliciently great to prevent the straightened metal from taking a permanent set. The strip of metal follows entirely around the guide member 38. and passes beneath the cradle rolls i6 and ll, free from engagement therewith, and emerges from the cradle in alignmerit with the feed rolls ll of the press. It will thus be seen that the stock S, after it emerges from the straightener unit and before it enters the press feed rolls, normally lies in a large loop the diameter of which is substantially determined by that of the guide 38. The feeding operation of the intermittently driven feed rolls ll and of the straightening unit 21 is properly synchronized so that the oscillation of the stock intermediate the straightener unit and feed rolls II will be confined entirely to the guide housing 33.

Any suitable control may be provided for the tact 44. The contact 42 is actuated through-a lost motion pin' and slot connection 46 by a lever 48 pivoted to the guide housing at 50 and extending down into the housing to rest on the loop of stock. The switch will be closed when the lever 48 moves down far enough to pull the contact 42 into engagement with the stationarycontact 44 and will not be re-opened until the lever 48 is moved up sufllciently to take up the lost motion in connection 46 and push the contact I 42 to open position.

In operation,-it is only necessary for the user to place the coil l8 of stock on the cradle rolls I6 and I1, and to feed the end of the roll into the throat 31 by starting the motor in reverse direction and continuing this rotation until the free end of the strip snapsinto alignment with the throat 31. The motor 20 may then be started forward to force the end of the stock into the straightening unit, and during this period the operator will manually raise yoke 34 so that the end may enter beneath the initial pressure roll 30. The yoke is then allowed to assume its operating position and the motor 20 continues to operate both the cradle rolls and the straightener unit. The stock will be forced through the straightener unit and out into the guide housing 38, where it will be guided around until it emerges from the side of the cradle in alignment with the feed rolls II of the press. Continued operation of the motor 20 is automatically governed by-the limit switch in such a manner that a large loop of stock is kept substantially constantly in.the guide housing.

Whfle the invention has been described in connection with a specific arrangement of parts, it should be understood that no novelty per se resides in the supporting roll drive means, the straightening means, or the intermittent strip feeding means, but that any suitable means for any of such purposes may be employed and that various changes may be made in each of the various elements of the combination within the scope of the claims and without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the class described, means to support and feed a roll of coiled metal, said metal having taken a permanent curvature in coiling, straightening means immediately adjacent said support to receive metal from said roll, and means surrounding said roll to confine and guide metal straightened by said last means in a loop having a radius sufllciently great to prevetnt the metal from again taking a permanent se 2. In a machine of the class described, means to support a roll of coiled metal, said metal having taken a permanent curvature in coiling, straightening means closely adjacent said supporting means and adapted to receive and straighten metal from said roll, a substantially circular guide housing extending around said roll and straightening means to receive and guide metal straightened by said last means, said housing having a radius sumciently great to prevent the metal from again taking a permanent set, an electric motor to drive said supporting means and said straightening means, and means to control said motor in accordance with the position of the metal in said guide housing, whereby the metal is maintained in a loop having a predetermined maximum and minimum radius.

3. In a machine of the class described, means to support and feed a strip oi! metal oi! substantial' initial curvature from a self-confined coil, straightening means to receive said strip from said coil, and a substantially circular guide housing extending from said straightening means over and to the rear of said coil-supporting means and delivering said'straightened strip beneath and in front of said coil-supporting means.

4. In means for straightening coiled metal and presenting it continuously to an intermittently ted press, a support for a coil of metal, means to actuate the support and uncoil the metal, straightening means in position to receive the leading end of the metal directly from the coil, a guide inposition to be contacted by said leading end as it leaves the straightening device, said guide substantially encircling the coil support in a path much larger than the boil for which said support is adapted, whereby metal strip, of a character to be set in a curve by being coiled, may pass around the interior oi. said uide after straightening without again being set in a curve, the discharge end of the guide being positioned to feed the leading end of the metal automatically to the intermittent feed device of the press.

5. In means for straightening coiled metal and I presenting it continuously to an intermittently fed press, a supportfor a coil or metal, means to actuate the support and uncoil the -metal, straightening means in position to receive the leading end of the metal directly from the coil, a guide in position to be contacted by said leading end as it leaves the straightening device, said guide substantially encircling the coil support in a path much larger'than the coil for which said support 3 adapted, whereby metal strip, of a character to be set in a curve by being coiled,

may pass around the interior of said guide after straightening without againbeing set in a curve,

the-discharge end of the guide being positioned to feed the leading end or the metal automatically tothe intermittent 'ieed device of the press, the guide being constructed with a free space inside thereof between its receiving and discharge ends whereby the length of the strip between the ends of the guide may be varied by the relativemovements 01 the support feed and the press feed.

EDWARD v. CRANE. ALVIN F. GROLL. 

